We walk on
by Arielonia
Summary: Follows my male OC through the seasons of The Walking Dead so will contain spoilers. Amy/OC.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from The Walking Dead.

Warning: My very first fanfiction. English is not my first language and no Beta, so there might be grammar errors. Be afraid (and kind?)

Timeline: Season 1 of The Walking Dead series. Please note my only "The Walking Dead" knowledge comes from the t.v. series as I have not read the comics.

Rated M because it's The Walking Dead? :P

Romance/Paring: Amy/OC.  
I love reading The Walking Dead fan fictions and there are many Daryl/OC which I love but many fan fictions I read are often OFC so I wanted to do one OMC. Since it is a OMC and the only Walking Dead female character to do a romance with was Amy for me… so hope you enjoy it.

Please review if you want a continuation or anything else.

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Matthew "Matt" Barris, 28 years old, lived in a small town in Georgia outside of Atlanta, in a small cheap apartment and did his best to save money. His only guilty pleasure was motorcycles and he owned a black Yamaha YZF R1. Matt worked in a diner in Atlanta as a cook and on most weekends as a part-time mechanic in his small town to bring in money to pay his student loans. He had heard rumors of a virus breakdown going on and the news warning people to stay home. Yesterday night he even started hearing rumors about the dead walking again like the virus was somehow making zombies which Matt thought was a sick prank.

Waking up at 7:00 AM was normal for a workday at the diner for Matt. With freshly toasted bread and a cup of coffee he sat down on the sofa to watch the TV for anything interesting to pass time before he had to go and get ready. The funny thing was that all the channels had the same news going on so he decided to watch it. They were showing a video that someone sent in and there looked liked there were rotten people walking around eating the screaming running "normal" humans.

"What… are they for real? Eating people? The DEAD ARE EATING PEOPLE!" Matt jumped up from the sofa in shocked and tried to take deep breaths to calm himself to hear more from the TV.

The news continued with the male reporter stated that a quarantine zone was being set up in Atlanta for people who had no bites or scratches from the dead. Apparently being bitten or scratched made you have a fever and die and later the corpse-you wakes up and tries to eat the living.

"Ok, think Matt think!" Matt started saying to himself in a mantra. Because what did you do when you see and hear that the Zombie Apocalypse was already going on? He ran to the window looking out on the street and saw that most of the families on the little street was packing and already leaving their houses in a panic. He started packing one gym bag with clothes, two towels and toiletries. The second gym bag he packed full of water, soda and what little bread he had. He didn't have much of canned foods, only two cans of corn. The whole time packing Matt only muttered "Crap, crap, crap…" to himself over and over. He put on a grey button down shirt, jeans and his sturdy boots. Last he put on his leather jacket, leather gloves and his black motorcycle helmet. The gym bags were on opposite sides of his head building a "X" on his front and back. He did think about bringing a weapon but the only thing he had was an older wooden bat that he stuffed inside one gym bag with the handle sticking out.

Matt went out of his apartment and ran to his motorcycle, unlocked the lock and went towards Atlanta.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately I do not own The Walking Dead. I only own my OC. This chapter is based on the first episode of season 1, "Days Gone Bye". You might recognize events/sentences from the show.

Please review if you want a continuation or anything else.

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"We walk on"  
-Chapter 2-

Two weeks had gone by since the beginning of the outbreak and Matt had adjusted to life at the rock quarry or at least he think he did okay with all things camping with at least 20 people.

On his way on the highway towards Atlanta he had seen his fair share of the walkers that the kids called them. Luckily he was fast on his motorcycle so he could get away. It seemed that the road to Atlanta was full of cars attempting to reach the town for safety but not moving so Matt had stopped near a RV to ask if he could use the toilet and to take off his leather jacket. There he met an old kind man named Dale and two blonde sisters Andrea and Amy. Andrea was the older more serious one and Amy the young carefree smiling sister. After the military started bombing the city with napalm bombs to stop being overrun with the infected, a big man with black curly hair named Shane had an idea to go camping in a quarry nearby to wait and see what would happen. Shane went with Lori an older brunette haired and her 12-year-old son Carl to lead the way with the RV and Matt right behind them.

Shane had also told the Peletier family, Ed a big man with angry eyes, Carol a shy mother with a buzz-cut and their 12-year-old daughter Sophia that also was shy as her mother. It didn't take long before more people came to the quarry to get away. Among them was T-Dog a muscular African-American with a shaved head, the redneck brothers Daryl and Merle Dixon, Jacqui another African-American and a young friendly Asian man named Glenn.

Dale had a tent that he let Matt use and that he and Glenn shared with a lack of tents going around the quarry. After two weeks it seemed as if everyone at camp had something to contribute or everyone but Ed and Merle. But no one mentioned it because no one wanted to really fight with the angry men. Matt mostly avoided both but it seemed that when Merle talked to Matt it was just because he also had a motorcycle. Matt had found himself helping with the wood to the fireplace along with T-Dog and got familiar with the axe. Matt also found himself near Jim a mechanic that learned him more about cars along with Glenn and sometimes Dale with his RV.

Matt hadn't thought about laundry until he seemed to only have one clean blue t-shirt.

"Hey Glenn how do you get your clothes clean around here?" Matt asked Glenn in the morning while getting his only clean shirt on.

"This is the first time you thought about laundry Matt? Come on nobody likes a smelly person around here."

"Yeah yeah, I get it I'm a slob but I'm trying here. Laundry wasn't the first thing I thought about, so how do you get your laundry done?"

"Oh well I usually just gives them to Carol before I go to the city so she and the rest of the women can get them done when I'm away finding food and other necessities."

Glenn answered and went out of the tent to eat breakfast by the fire. Sometimes Matt tried to help with dinner to make the food they had to taste better but there wasn't much to do so he let Carol take care of it. He just gave suggestions to Glenn about spices that could be good to have.

After everyone had eaten breakfast and there only was Carol around the fire, Matt approached her feeling a little embarrassed.

"Ehm… Carol?"

"Yes Matt?" Carol had become more comfortable with Matt since they talked about spices and food together.

"Ehm... You do laundry right? Because I have forgotten to get my clothes clean and so I was wondering if you could include my clothes in the laundry you women do." Matt looked at the ground scratching his neck.

"Oh of course I can Matt. I completely forgot to ask if you needed laundry done, I'm sorry. Just put your clothes in this basket and I will get it done tomorrow. " Carol handed him an empty basket.

"Thank you Carol you are literary a life saver." Matt then went to his tent to pick up all his dirty clothes and put in the basket before he sheepishly gave the stuffed basket back to Carol.

He saw Glenn arguing with Shane at the RV about who were going in to the city to get supplies but Glenn wanted to go alone as he always did. Shane finally won the argument when T-Dog, Morales and Jacqui volunteered to go with Glenn to get more supplies than normally. Finally it was decided that Merle and Andrea was also going much to Amy's will. Everyone gave them hugs and off they went to Atlanta.

Later they heard a transmission from the CB about a man going towards Atlanta without knowing about all the walkers roaming in the city but they couldn't get a reply through.

Matt approached Shane after he had his little "lovers' quarrel" with Lori, not that they thought anyone knew about them, about putting up warnings on the highway about Atlanta being overrun. Shane later came out smiling from the woods so Matt knew that now was a good time.

"Shane I need to talk to you."

"Ah sure what can I do for you Matt?" Shane said still smiling goofy and if Matt didn't know about him and Lori this would be an eye-opener that someone have been getting lucky.

"I want you to teach me how to shoot. It was a long time ago I learned."

"You a good shot?" Shane asked doubtfully.

"My grandfather used to have a shotgun and after bugging him about it he showed me how to use the shotgun in my teenage years. A handgun can't be that different but I could use your help with my aim."

"Yeah sure let me get my gun and then we can go to the hill further back"

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**A/N: **My OC is based on Brant Daugherty (from the PLL).


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately I do not own The Walking Dead. I only own my OC. This chapter is based on the episode "Guts" of season 1. You might recognize events/sentences from the show.

Please review.

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"We walk on"  
-Chapter 3-

Turns out that Matt wasn't a total loss when it came to shooting with a handgun, he just needed help with the adjustment that he now needed to aim to the head. Shane was pleasantly surprised that Matt could shoot because he needed as many people who could shoot to better help protect the camp. Matt was grateful for his grandfather who taught Matt what he knew about shotguns before his death of old age when Matt was 21 years old, leaving Matt alone with no family. His parents had died in a car accident when he was 8 years old so his grandfather was the one who raised Matt alone.

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Later that day Lori was trying to calm a pacing Amy who was worried about the supply group, her sister in particular. Matt and Jim were working on the RV's troublesome radiator hose with Dale hovering nearby.

"It's late. They should have been back by now."

"Worrying won't make it better Amy" Dale answered with his head now hidden in front of the RV.

Just minutes after Dale receives T-Dogs garbled transmission after climbing up the roof of the RV. T-Dog is explaining that they're trapped in the department store, surrounded by walkers.

"We do not go after them," Shane insists.

"…Shane?" Lori questions.

"We do not risk the rest of the group, you know that."

"We're just going to leave her there? She volunteered to go to help the rest of us," Amy argues.

"I know but she knew the risks, right? If she's trapped, she's gone. We just have to deal with that." Shane said calmly back.

"She's my sister, you son of a bitch," Amy answered furiously storming off with Matt following her. Lori also struggling with supporting Shane's decision stormed off to her tent for a while. Miranda, Morales wife just shook her head sadly while running back to her two children hugging them tight.

Matt followed Amy to the edge of the woods and stood next to her.

"The group is smart, they are all going to come back you know that right? _She's_ going to come back." Matt tried to comfort Amy the best he could. "You got to keep the faith… think positive thoughts."

"Yeah but it is harder to think positive now with walkers surrounding almost everywhere." She said while letting out small sobs.

"Yeah tell me about it," Matt said trying to make her stop crying. He awkwardly gathered her in a hug and let her cry out on his chest. Finally she stopped crying and thanked Matt for trying to make her feel better. They then make their way back towards the campfire.

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**A/N: **Sorry for the short chapter but didn't happen that much in camp this chapter. Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately I do not own The Walking Dead. I only own my OC. This chapter is based on the episode "Tell it to the frogs" of season 1. You might recognize events/sentences from the show.

Please review and check out my profile side! Thanks for the review I have gotten so far… always welcome.  
**Deadzepplin:** Well the handling and how you aim is different? :) Easier I think than shotguns. But have no idea but for the story's sake, I'm right, tihi. :P

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"We walk on"  
-Chapter 4-

Mathew sat next to Dale on top of the RV keeping watch and just enjoying sitting on a camp chair instead of a log. He had to take use to what little comfort he could get today. He saw Lori cutting Carl's hair despite the boy's objections and Matt couldn't help to think about how his own hair probably needed some trimming. He should next time look in the mirror to see how much he had changed.

"Do you hear that?" Matt said suddenly and sat up straighter in his seat on the RV and looked at Dale. He could barely make out some sort of wailing noise. Whatever it was, the noise was getting louder. The noise seemed to be a car alarm echoing through the trees. Everyone in the camp jumped up, looking around for the sound.

"Talk to me, Dale!" Shane shouted as he came nearer the RV where Dale was above the RV with his binoculars clutched in his hands.

"Can't tell yet…" He focused the binoculars and noticed a red sports car speeding along a ridge among the trees, skidding recklessly. "I'll be damned" he murmured.

"What do you see Dale" Matt asked urgently.

"Stolen car is my guess." Dale answered loudly so that everyone below on the ground could hear him.

The red sports car approached the camp fast, skidding to stop with Glenn exiting through the passenger door with a large grin on his face. Everyone in camp ran over to Glenn.

"Holy crap, turn that damn thing off!" Dale shouted.

"I don't know how," Glenn replied.

Shane kept shouting to pop the hood to Glenn at the same time Amy kept demanding where her sister was. Quickly Glenn pops the hood and Jim who is right next to the car lifted the hood and pulled a wire making the alarm stop. Amy continues to ask questions about Andrea, "Is she okay? Why isn't she with you?" to Glenn while everyone's ears are ringing.

"She's okay!" Glenn shouts over her. "Everybody is… well, Merle not so much."

"You crazy trying to drive this thing up here? You wanna draw every walker from miles?" Shane half-shouted angrily through gritted teeth ignoring what Glenn said about Merle.

"I think we're okay," Dale said slowly. "The alarm was echoing all over these hills. Hard to pinpoint the source." Shane stood straight, glaring at Dale. "I'm not arguing. I'm just saying." Dale stopped as a white cube van approached, pulling up behind the sports car.

Amy and Andrea had an emotional reunion hugging as did Morales with his family. Lori tried making Carl feel better about not having his father here after watching the happy reunions. Matt shared a one arm hug with Glenn happy that his roommate and friend made it back safe. Afterwards Glenn happily explains how the group made it back safe thanks to the new guy, who was a police officer like Shane tells Morales. Turns out that the "new guy" was Lori's husband and Carl's father Rick. Rick tearfully holds his family in his arms tight while the rest of the group looked on dumbfounded.

Later that night with only the campfire as the source of light, Rick tells everyone his story from waking up disoriented from his coma and how he made it to Atlanta looking for Lori and Carl. Rick told Shane who grateful he was to him for taking care of his family. Matt wondered how grateful Rick would be if he found out about how Shane took "care" of Lori especially but Lori seemed to flicker a glare at Shane or at least Matt thought he saw a glare. Shane seemed to be the only one who were moody but the rest of the camp didn't seem to see that so Matt decided to not be put in the middle of the "love triangle".

"Hey Ed?" Shane asked suddenly. "Wanna rethink that log?" The group looked up, pulled out of their own thoughts about family, friends and how they survived the Zombie Apocalypse so far. It seemed Ed had put a fresh log in his campfire but Shane didn't want Ed's fire to be seen from a distance.

"I said it's cold. Why dontcha mind your own business for once?" Ed called, lazily, resting his head back with his eyes closed. Shane stormed over to Ed and his fire to tell Ed with a dangerous edge in his voice to take that damn log out of the fire. Ed conceded deciding it wasn't worth it. Carol and Sophia sat nearby their fire meekly when Shane told them to have a good night.

Back at the group's campfire, except the Peletier family, the discussion about who or what to tell Daryl about what happened to Merle.

"We could lie…" Amy said slowly after a while.

"You can't be serious. Lies do nothing good, it's only going to come back and bite us in the ass." Matt said hotly letting his eyes wander over Lori for a moment before staring at Amy.

"We tell the truth," answered Andrea. "Merle was out of control. Something had to be done, or he'd have gotten us killed." She looked at Lori. "Your husband did what was necessary. Merle got left behind and it was nobody's fault."

"And that's what we tell Daryl?" Dale asked skeptically. "I don't see a rational discussion to be had from that, do you? Word to the wise..." he added, looking around at the group. "We're gonna have our hands full when he gets back from his hunt."

It seemed that T-Dog at least had chained the door with a padlock so no walkers could get to Merle. So it seemed that Merle was left alive in a handcuff on the roof alone. That was a hard thought for Matt and the most of the group to handle before leaving to go to bed with Shane on night watch.

"Hey, wait up!" Amy said before Matt could go in his and Glenn's tent for a night's sleep.

"Yeah?" Matt asked after he turned around to face Amy.

"I was just throwing an idea out there." Amy retorted defensively. "I'm not saying anything about lying all the time…".

"I didn't say anything Amy… no hard feelings okay? We both said what we wanted too." Matt answered confusedly.

"Oh, okay. I just didn't want you to think I'm a bad person that lies all the time." Amy blushed but was happy that it was too dark outside that Matt wouldn't notice.

"I don't think you're a bad person at all Amy. Just let's go to sleep." Matt smiled. "Night Ames," Matt turned and went in his tent.

"Ames?" Amy went to go to sleep with a large smile on her face.

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The next morning Carol was up early and left Matt his washed and ironed clothes before starting ironing Rick's uniform. Matt's job for the day was much to Glenn's dismay stripping down the red sports car for parts with Jim and Dale.

"Maybe you'll get to steal another one someday," Rick consoles him, patting him on the back before walking to his wife hanging up laundry.

"We need every part we can get and more fuel is important Glenn" Matt said trying to defend that he was stripping the car down for a good reason.

"Yeah but it still hurts man." Glenn answered sadly.

Suddenly the campers hear children screaming from the woods. Every man takes some sort of weapon around the campfire before running to where the screams originated. While Sophia and Carl where being hugged by their mothers the men comes across a walker eating a deer in a clearing. They beat on the walker until Dale decapitated it. Amy and Andrea are standing near, observing.

"This is the first one we've had up here. They never come this far up the mountain before."

"They're running out of food in the city, that's what," Jim explains.

"Fun for us," Matt muttering the comment under his breath sarcastically.

"What was that?" Glenn questioned.

"Nothing." Matt smiled falsely.

The group hears the bushes rustling and Shane raises his gun protectively. A man in a sleeveless t-shirt, Daryl Dixon, emerges from the woods carrying a crossbow and hauling over a dozen dead squirrels. He's upset that the walker ate the deer he'd been tracking for miles, and the food's been wasted. He cusses out the walker, kicking at its corpse, while Dale tries to tell him he's not solving anything by lashing out. That causes Daryl to lash out at Dale in return. The walker's decapitated head starts grinding it's teeth, growling, and Amy and Andrea take off disgusted. Daryl fires his crossbow into its skull.

"Come on people, what the hell? It's gotta be the brain! Don't y'all known nothin'?" he rebukes, before heading into camp shouting Merle's name wanting him to come.

Turns out that Daryl didn't like Rick and T-Dogs explanations about what happened to Merle and wanted to go get him. Rick, T-Dog and Glenn volunteered to go with Daryl feeling guilty about leaving a man trapped and alone. Shane is not happy about them going arguing that they need everybody to protect the camp incase more walkers show up. "You're putting every single one of us at risk" he tells Rick angrily. Shane only softens when Rick mentions the guns that he left behind outside the tank, 700 rounds. Guns are valuable in this new world after all. Rick, T-dog, Glen and Daryl take the cube van back into the city.

* * *

Matt saw how Shane stormed in to his tent and figured that he wouldn't bother him. When Matt sees Amy and Andrea coming up from the lake, the same way Shane came from he asks what happened. When they tell him about Ed he feels sorry for Carol and Sophia but Matt can't do anything about them.

"But you're okay Amy?" Matt bends his head and stares at her.

"And what about me, Matt? Only Amy gets the royal treatment?" Andrea asks cheekily at the same time Amy answers "I'm fine".

"Ehh…" Matt blushes lightly. "You okay too Andrea?"

"Sure am Matt" Andrea then turns to speak to her sister, "I'm going to get all the stuff we need for fishing from Dale, I'll leave you with _Mathew_". Andrea leaves winking at Amy.

Matt coughs trying to ignore how Andrea left. "So you two are going fishing?"

"Yeah our father taught us and if we get plenty of fish it will make a good meal."

"I can't wait".


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Unfortunately I do not own The Walking Dead. I only own my OC. This chapter is based on the episode "Vatos" of season 1. You might recognize events/sentences from the show.

Please review and check out my profile side! I have started a poll so there so please visit. Thanks for the reviews I have gotten so far… always welcome and everyone else reading my story.

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"We walk on"  
-Chapter 5-

Mathew climbed up to the roof of the RV wanting to talk to Dale about Jim. Matt had tried talking to Jim, who was on a hill from the campsite, about taking a break from digging to at least drink some water but Jim didn't want to. Not that Jim wanted to talk about why he was digging in the first place so Matt wanted to talk to Dale to see if he could talk to Jim instead.

"Hey Dale, I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" Dale turned towards Matt.

"Jim. I guess you have already seen Jim through your binoculars today. He has dug on that field on the hill a long time now and I thought that you could talk to him about it."

"Have you tried talking to him?" Dale wondered, looking through his binoculars and sees Jim furiously digging holes into the ground.

"I tried but he didn't want to hear anything I said so I think you should talk to him instead. Everyone always listen to you... you're like everyone's grandfather or father sometimes." Matt shrugged smiling towards Dale. "Anyway I could take over your watch so you could try talking to Jim before Shane does."

"That's very nice of you to say Mathew," Dale answered smiling wide towards him. "I know Shane helped you with updating on your skills with a gun so I trust you with my gun. If it isn't any trouble for you please stay here on the RV."

"Take your time Dale." Matt said and Dale gave Matt his gun and climbed down the camper, walking towards Jim.

* * *

Dale didn't get a response from Jim and had talked to the rest of the group about Jim. Seemed that Jim didn't want to stop so Shane dragged him to a tree in the camp and tied him up. Amy climbed up and stood next to Matt watching the grounds around the camp.

"How's Jim?" Matt questioned.

"He's getting better staying in the shade and getting water. He must have had a sunstroke staying in the heat that long digging."

"I wonder why he was digging in the first place," Matt mused out loud.

"Me too... He told us what happened to his family, his wife and two sons. About them being taken right out of his hands and only got away 'cause..." Amy says on the verge of tears "'cause the dead were too busy eating them. It's so sad and I can't help to think about my mom and dad." Amy cried letting her tears drop.

"Oh... I can't even imagine how Jim much feel, it's awful." Shaking his head Matt put one arm around Amy's shoulders bringing her closer to him. "I guess you can never know but don't let it bother you too much Ames. The whole zombie Apocalypse thing is the only time I'm glad that I have no living family left. Never had a big family to being with, having no close cousins and my grandmother died before I was born. You see my parents died when I was young in a car accident and my grandfather lived a long life before he went when I was 21."

"I'm sorry Matt."

"Don't be" he said hugging Amy closer to him. After some silence Matt tried to make Amy smile again by jokingly saying "I saw all the fish you and Andrea brought back from fishing. I think I almost drooled at the sight." Thankfully she gave him a half-smile.

"Yeah don't think that would look cute on you. Drool is not a nice look on anyone."

"_Cute_?! I'm not _cute_."

"Then what are you?" Amy giggled upon looking at Matt's expression on his face.

"Well defiantly not cute! No man finds being cute a compliment okay? If anyone is cute around the camp it's you."

"Thanks," Amy blushed and laughed a little. "How about handsome and hot?" Amy dared saying finally expressing her feelings about Matt. She blushed a bright red looking at Matt's chest avoiding his eyes.

"Well that's better" Matt chuckled. "Ames?" Matt removed his arm around her and holds her hands. Amy tilts her face up to his, her eyes wide, luminous from the sun as she regards him closely. He brushed the hair from her face and leaned toward her, almost whispering "I want to try something" and kissed her. Amy didn't move at first making Matt worried that he had made a mistake. He started to pull back but then she wrapped her arms around him. Her breath in his face was absolutely intoxicating. He kissed her again and she returned the kiss enthusiastically.

Matt pulled back from the kiss and stared in her eyes, "In case you're wondering this means that I like you."

Amy smiled at him. "I like you too" and gave him a little peck on the lips. "I should probably help with cleaning the fish" she said pulling back from his embrace looking around the camp to see if anyone saw them. Not noticing anyone looking at them she smiled and started climbing down the ladder. "See you later? At dinner?" she asked unsure despite their kissing each other. Matt nodded smiling at her.

Matt was still smiling when Dale came up the RV to take over the watch. He then went towards the lake before it would be too dark, to take a bath at the lake to cool down from the heat and clean up the best he could before dinner.

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**A/N: **Well we all know what happens after dinner or do we? :P Just kidding but wanted to get this uploaded first before I continue. Hope you'll enjoy and please review!


	6. Chapter 6

******Disclaimer: **Unfortunately I do not own The Walking Dead. I only own my OC. This chapter is based on the episode "Vatos" of season 1. You might recognize events/sentences from the show.

******A/N:** Sorry for the delay, been busy with school and had troubles with both my writing document and Internet connection but Easter is coming so will have time to write. Hope you'll enjoy and please review or give me ideas! First time writing action scenarios .. so be aware. *** wink ***

My OC is based on Brant Daugherty (from the PLL and more) to give you an idea. Chapter 7 is half done so should come very soon!

**Best Buy Seasons:** Thanks for your review and I feel the same way as you. One of my reasons for writing this story! Don't worry about writing a too long review, I like to read. :)

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"We walk on"  
-Chapter 6-

Cleaning himself and putting on his new clean clothes with his sturdy boots at the lake made Mathew feel better. He had blue jeans, a shirt with a padded jacket and his durable leather jacket over to double up as a blanket against the cold towards the night. He made a mental note to thank Carol for washing his clothes and hoped she would continue doing it.

On the edge of the camp the newest survivors tents were, not that he knew everyone that came to the quarry but he still said hello to everyone he walked by. The only ones that made him stop on his way towards his tent was 2 women asking about his day. Their age was hard to pinpoint for Matt but they where near Andreas age. Two very different blondes, one an almost white blonde very thin and tall whereas the shorter one had more dirty/dark blonde hair with full hips and breasts. As always Matt was polite and in the back on his mind he wondered why they also were giggling quietly after he answered their simple questions like: "Where you having a bath?", "Is that your motorcycle?", "What's your favourite colour?" and so on.

They only stopped when Andrea came by asking for their help with hanging the laundry up. Andrea's way of asking where more of a _"you better come now or else"_ kinda way. Before Andrea left with the two other blondes she winked at Matt leaving him bewildered and a little confused about what just happened. Andrea most defiantly didn't do laundry of any kind out of her free will. Shaking his head he walked over to his tent to put away his dirty clothes in the newly formed pile of dirty clothes from both him and Glenn in the corner.

* * *

The group is preparing for a fish cookout and Morales proudly shows off the upgraded campfire with higher rocks to protect against higher flames. Shane had freed Jim from the tree and invited him to the fish fry.

"So are Becky and Julia coming to _chat_ with you later?" Amy wonders out loud standing next to Matt near the RV looking towards the campfire.

"Eh who?" Matt questions having no idea what so ever.

"Becky and Julia" Amy answered pronouncing their names slowly. When she didn't get a response from Matt she continued saying "You know, the two new blondes that you talked to?"

"Oh is that their names? They didn't say much just bombarding me with questions like my favorite colour or if I am interested in any sports before Andrea came by. Why do you ask?"

"N-nothing. Just curious" Amy says blushing a little. Figuring that Matt is a little naïve and too polite when girls were obviously flirting with him. "So what is your favorite colour then?"

"Huh okeeey" Matt says and goes with the flow of changing the topic because he figured that he really didn't want to know what were going on in her head now. "My favorite colour? I have no idea, not every colour suits just one thing or mood. Guess I prefer black and blue most. You?"

"Orange 'cause it's both sunny without hurting your eyes and looks good in a darker colour too. Just a really pretty colour."

"Well guess I'm just feeling relief that it isn't pink I guess" Matt half-joked before walking over to the fire to help with the cookout.

* * *

As they sit around the campfire after dark Morales asks Dale why he still winds his wristwatch every day. Something that more than Morales had wondered about. Jacqui points out that it's of no use ever since the world ended.

"It's important to keep track" Dale explains, paraphrasing a Faulkner parable about a father giving his son a watch - "the mausoleum of all hope and desire."

Nobody says anything before Amy says "You are so weird" making everyone laugh. She then stands making Andrea question where she is going. "I need to pee, yesh trying to be discreet around here" Amy says rolling her eyes before making her way towards the RV to use the bathroom.

Matt then stands up making everyone at the fire turning their eyes on him. Before anyone can question him he explains "There wasn't any toilet paper last time so I better tell her ok?". Just as Matt are going to open the door to the RV Amy emerges making both of them stop.

"Oh you scared me a little there Matt. Can you believe we're out of toilet paper?" Amy complains.

Before Matt can answer her they hear a rustling from the bushes near the RV making them turn around as they see walkers approaching.

"GET INSIDE!" Matt yells at Amy as Amy screams, alerting the other campers. Walkers attack from all directions in just seconds, grabbing and devouring people all over the campsite. Matt hears Shane ordering Lori and everyone else to get into the RV as he fires his shotgun.

As Matt closes the door of the RV with Amy inside, a walker is standing just behind the door charging at Matt making him topple to the ground. "FUCK" Matt yells trying to keep the walker's mouth far away from him with one hand while the other helplessly searches for anything on the ground. Just as he was loosing hope his left hand fell on something cold and rough textured. He glanced down next to him, closed his hand around the crowbar and swinging as hard as he could at the walker's head. After pushing the walker off his body he pushed himself to his feet, wasting no time before gripping the crowbar between his hands as a bat, swinging at walkers that was near him.

Andrea runs towards him screaming Amy's name as Jim and Morales beat down walkers with baseball bats. "Get behind me" Matt orders Andrea when she is near him, pushing her towards the door of the RV. Matt swung at the nearest walker hitting its neck with the crowbar but the crunch of the bones was more than satisfying. He swung the crowbar again one more time and it collided with its head with a strange sickening crack making the walker drop to the ground.

Suddenly multiple gunshots are heard. Seems like Rick, Glenn, Daryl and T-Dog arrived just in time and quickly shoots the remaining walkers. As the survivors begin to catch their breath, friends and families hug each other looking around the area terrified.

There are dozens of dead bodies all over the campsite, both of humans and walkers. In the silence that follows the carnage Jim speaks "I remember my dream now. Why I dug the holes."

* * *

**A/N: **Please review or PM giving me ideas or something :) Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

******Disclaimer: **Unfortunately I do not own The Walking Dead. I only own my OC. This chapter is based on the episode "Wildfire" of season 1. You might recognize events/sentences from the show.

**Remember: M-rating.**

* * *

"We walk on"  
-Chapter 7-

The morning after the massacre Rick had given out the guns from Atlanta to the men at camp. The lesson learned to always wear a weapon and to have a lookout at all times. Matt had taken the crowbar that saved his life to keep on his belt.

Matt remembered how grateful Andrea was to him for saving Amy's life. Andrea hadn't left Amy's side since the attack always keeping a watchful eye on her. Matt himself felt that now wasn't the time for romance and shoved his feelings aside.

Now Daryl was swinging a pickaxe at the dead walkers' heads while Matt, T-Dog, Glenn, Jim, Morales and Jacqui was moving the bodies to burn at the fire. When Morales and Daryl drag the body of a dead camper towards the fire Glenn stops them saying "We don't burn our people". Yelling out "We bury them!". Of course this sets Daryl off, frustrated and sweating from the heat, accusing the group of reaping what they sow for leaving his brother for dead and storms off.

Rick, Lori and Shane are discussing what they would be doing now as the camp isn't safe anymore.

* * *

" A walker bit Jim" Jacqui yells out while Jim grabs a shovel to press the group away from him as they demand to see his stomach. T-dog runs up behind him and locks his arms behind him as Daryl runs up and lifts Jim's shirt up, revealing a bite wound on his abdomen. Jim is mumbling like a mantra "I'm okay" over and over again.

* * *

"I say we put a pickaxe in his dead" Daryl offers at the discussion about what to do with Jim. "He's a living time bomb."

"Is that what you want? If that was you?" Shane questions.

"Yeah and I would thank you while you did it" Daryl confirms.

"I hate to say it and I never thought I would but maybe Daryl is right" Dale says.

"What!?" Matt asks confused at what Dale said.

"Jim is not a monster Dale or some rabbit dog" Rick argues.

"I'm not suggestion that..." Dale tries to argue back but Rick stops his argument by talking over him continuing saying "He's a SICK SICK man."

"If we start down that road, where do we draw the line?" Rick questions out loud.

"The line's pretty clear, zero tolerance for walkers or they to be" Daryl says thinking that would be obvious.

"What if we could get him help?" Rick says refusing to kill the living. "I heard the CDC (Center for Disease Control) where working for a cure.

"I heard that too. I heard a lot of things before the world went to hell" Shane argues.

"Maybe the CDC is still up and running?" Matt questions feeling a little hope for Jim.

"That is a stretch right there..." Shane says refusing to believe that the CDC would work.

He and Rick argues about where the group should go. Shane thinks the army base Fort Benning is a safer bet but that is 100 miles in the opposite direction of the CDC. Both places would provide shelter and food if there are people left. But Rick believes Fort Benning got overrun like every other military cordon they've seen. Maybe there will be answers at the CDC and the building would be protected at all costs if there where a nuclear disaster or a terrorist attack.

"If there's any form of government left, it'd be there" Rick says. "The CDC are our best choice and Jim's only chance."

"You go looking for aspirin and I do what you need to do" Daryl says and heads toward Jim with his pickaxe. "Someone should have some balls and take care of this DAMN problem" Daryl says and tries to take a swing but Rick points his gun at Daryl's head.

"We don't kill the living" Rick says but Daryl snaps back saying "Funny coming from a guy who just put a gun to my head."

Shane steps between Daryl and Jim saying "We may disagree on some things but not on this. You put it down, go on."

Daryl throws down his pickaxe and walks away.

* * *

After Rick moves Jim inside the bedroom of the RV to make Jim safe, Matt decides to talk with Jim who had become more of an odd uncle/mentor type to Matt.

"Hey... you feeling alright?" Matt asks seeing Jim sweating. "Sorry dumb question" he says feeling awkward and not really knowing what to say to the man.

"No worries" Jim says while coughing. "The fever will be a lot worse than it is now."

"Is there anything I can do? Anything at all?" Matt questions feeling helpless.

"You shouldn't worry about me Matt. The good thing about this is I get to meet my family a lot sooner than expected." Jim shrugs his shoulders.

"But Rick believes that the CDC will have a cure" Matt argues.

"That's positive for y'all but you shouldn't feel responsible for me. I'm a grown man and you should look after yourself instead."

Matt didn't get a lot out of Jim before he starting coughing up blood in a bucket. Jim did try to make him feel better and to not care about him.

* * *

To keep himself busy Matt and the rest did dig graves near the campsite, where Jim had started digging, and to help transport the bodies of fallen campers.

Daryl still believes that they should burn all the bodies and that it's a mistake to bury them.

"People need to know who the hell is in charge here" Daryl argues to Shane and Rick about them going with Glenn's plan to bury the campers instead of burning them. "What the rules are."

"There aren't any rules" Rick says.

"That's a problem. We haven't had one minute to hold on to our old self. We need time to mourn and we need to bury our dead" Lori insists. "It's what people do" she says.

Matt found respect at Lori for what she just said. The funeral was not just for those that did die at the massacre yesterday but also for everyone that they knew in the old life before the virus.

* * *

Awhile later after the funeral outside the RV.

"Oh it's your birthday?" Matt said after hearing about Amy's new mermaid necklace she got from Andrea this morning.

Amy just nodded half smiling not thinking it was a time to smile wide after the funeral they just had but she still feel happy that Andrea could be here on her birthday. Her sister used to only talk to her every year after she moved out on the phone saying she would come but never did.

"Well Happy Birthday Amy" Matt smiled showing of his right dimple. He leaned down towards her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Sorry I can't give you a beautiful present like your sister did but you look good with the necklace" Matt said smiling down at her. Then Matt smiled at Andrea and left towards his tent to think things over.

* * *

Matt sat down on his sleeping bag thinking of Jim's bite. It was a death sentence waiting to happen but it made this whole experience since the virus more real. He knew that almost everyone he had known before was most likely dead but he hadn't really thought that much about it before. This was how the world was now, living one day at a time.

Suddenly breaking Matt's depressing thoughts was a familiar voice saying "Knock knock". Then Glenn came in and sat down on his own sleeping bag beside Matt. They just sat there staring at each other, half smiling and feeling relived that they still had each other.

After awhile Glenn breaks the silence. "So what's with Amy? Finally put the moves on her? If you know what I mean" he asks while trying to move his eyebrows sexy. Not that sexy at all, at least in Matt's own opinion.

"Wh... what?! The moves on her? You talk like that? You don't just do _that_ and then diss her afterwards OK?"

"Sorry just trying to lighten the mood. So that's a no on you ever taking advantage on Amy and a yes on you actually caring for her" Glenn said feeling proud of his way of getting Matt to actually admit his feelings out loud. "I mean it is quite clear in the way you looked at her after the attack and hovering nearby if she needed you."

"You saw that?" Matt asked thinking he was stealthy in not smothering Amy after the attack. Trying to not to show that he do have strong feelings for her already.

"Just because I know you so well" Glenn smiled.

"I really need to get you a girlfriend don't I? Make you stop being so marshmallow and talk about feelings with me." Glenn's only response was to hit Matt on the shoulder and turning a bit red.

"I do care for Amy... a lot. I just don't know if now is the time for romance. I mean look around you but I also know that I can't just shut my feelings down and start ignoring her." Matt said ready to went out loud to a person he trusts.

"Yeah that is true. But the big picture is that romance and good memories are harder to come by everyday and you need something to make your day better, make you try harder at whatever this life we are living is. No matter if there is a cure or not I think it is best to take the leap and be romantic".

"You know sometimes like this you make me think that you are actually...I can't believe I'm saying it but you make me think you are smart." Matt said shaking his head in disbelief.

* * *

After their talk about feelings, Matt changed the topic and got Glenn to tell the tale of the adventure he had in Atlanta with Daryl, T-Dog and Rick while looking for Merle. The good part is that there are more people alive, surviving out there even the older generation and Merle is still alive out there hopefully. The bad part is also that Merle is alive somewhere out there and only one hand. Is he thinking about revenge and where is he? Mostly bad for Daryl because it's his brother. Then that there are so many walkers now in the city.

* * *

At the campfire where everyone is sitting Shane announces that he thinks they should trust Rick's instincts and those that agree will be leaving for the CDC in the morning."The important thing is that we need to stay together" Shane says.

* * *

After packing and leaving his bags in the RV, Matt approaches Daryl near his truck.

"What?" Daryl gruff out not even looking at Matt.

"I see that you are taking Merle's bike with you."

"So?" Daryl asks angrily not liking the subject of conversation being about Merle.

"You are the only one to have a truck and maybe you'll be willing to take my bike and secure it next to Merle's bike?" Matt rushes out his question feeling not that confident.

"Why would I care?" Daryl says after he looks at Matt closely.

"It would save gas? Or I don't know... if you want I could just say please?" Matt said rubbing the back of his head.

Turns out Daryl wasn't that much against the idea or maybe he just wanted Matt gone and out of his sight. Daryl helped Matt to take his bike next to Merle's on the truck. Matt feeling lucky asks Daryl if he had some small sharp knife he could take. Daryl being his normal self just looks at Matt as to say _why would Matt would want one_.

"It's not for me, it's for Amy if you must know OK? She needs protection" Matt says feeling awkward under Daryl's gaze.

"Whatever" Daryl grunts out. Digging in his bag Daryl gives Matt a normal size knife and a little bigger knife stating "Don't expect me to save your sorry ass.".

* * *

As the group is preparing to leave, Shane is giving instructions on how to stay with the caravan when Morales announces that his family will not be joining the group. They have family in Birmingham and want to be with their people. "We gotta take a chance" he says when Shane argues that there will be no one watching their backs. "I gotta do what's best for my family," he says. Rick gives Morales a gun for protection.

Carl and Sophia hug the Morales' kids, Eliza and Louis with Eliza giving her doll to Sophia. The adults say goodbye to each other.

Before leaving Matt takes Amy aside, giving her the small knife stating "You need to keep this on you at all times. We need to be prepared OK? "

"Wh... what? A knife really?" Amy asks a little dumbfounded staring at the knife.

"In case of emergency and a walker comes up. Just hit the walker in the head. Please Amy?"

"Ehm okay. Better to be safe I guess?" She says while taking the knife.

* * *

The group leaves the quarry behind for good. In the RV Dale is driving and Glenn is with the map. Jim and Jacqui are in the bedroom of the RV that is leading the caravan. Rick, Lori, Carl, Sophia and Carol are in the car after the RV and in the next car Shane. T-Dog is driving the next car with Amy, Andrea and Matt. Last in the caravan is Daryl.

* * *

En route to the CDC, the RV's radiator hose bursts.

"I told you we'll never get that far with that hose, I needed the one from the cub van." Dale says to Rick.

"You can't rig it?" Rick questions.

"That is all I have done so far. It's more duct tape then hose and I'm out of duct tape."

Shane sees a gas station up ahead so he and T-Dog offers to drive and try to find duct tape and other things.

"Your radiator hose is blown" Matt says. "What I wouldn't give for some self-fusing silicone tape," Matt muses out loud "guess more duct tape it is then" he smiles to Dale.

Then Jacqui comes out of the RV saying "It's Jim, it's bad I don't think he can take anymore" before going inside the RV again.

* * *

When Shane and T-Dog comes back and brings the found duct tape Matt puts on his motorcycle gloves to help against the heat from the radiator. He takes the duct tape and stretches out some, wrapping it around the broken hose and attaching it to another part.

"Do you have bottled water?" Matt asks.

"Why? You thirsty already Matt?" Glenn questions smirking at Matt.

"Well... it's to cool the radiator with."

"Oh yeah of course, I knew that" Glenn answers laughing nervously.

"Here you are" Dale comes and hand Matt the water.

Matt pours it over an area and then takes a cloth smoothing over the hose that he fixed. He throws the cloth down and takes off his gloves.

"OK, the hose is fixed but it's just a temporary repair. We really need to get the hose replaced but it will do for now" Matt says. He explains to Rick that while generous wraps of duct tape can be used to patch a failed radiator or heater hose temporarily, the RV needs a new hose pronto, since the heat will deteriorate the adhesive quickly.

* * *

After Rick checks on Jim, who is in agony wants to be left out here to finally be with his family.

"It's what he says he wants" Rick tells the group outside of the RV.

"And he's lucid?" Carol questions in disbelief.

"He seems to be. I would say yes." Rick answers.

"Back at camp, when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down... You misunderstood. I would never go along with carelessly killing a man. I was just gonna suggest that we ask Jim what he wants and I think we have an answer" Dale says sighing.

"We just leave him here? And take off?" Shane asks looking straight at Rick. "I'm not sure I could live with that."

"Not your call. Either one of you" Lori says talking to Rick and Shane.

* * *

After agreeing with Jim's wishes the group carries Jim to a nearby tree. Everyone of the survivors says a tearfully goodbye, one at a time to Jim.

Mathew sits down at the table in the RV, his eyes following where they left Jim next to the tree through the window while Dale and Glenn leads the caravan further towards the CDC leaving Jim behind.

Not much are said in the RV with Matt, Jacqui, Dale and Glenn mourning Jim in silence. The silence is only broken when Glenn gives Dale directions to where they should drive.

* * *

The sun is setting when they arrive outside the CDC compound. Hundreds of bodies lay dead on the ground surrounding the building with swarms of flies next to the corpses. It seems that the military was overrun even here.

The group quietly approaches the building, trying to not smell the horrible smell of rotten flesh. The smell leaves Matt gagging and he can't begin to think what Amy thinks about the smell. Matt moves towards Amy and Andrea whispering "Stay close and behind me" while moving towards the entrance of the building, which are locked and shuttered. There doesn't seem to be anyone around and the group considers leaving before it gets too dark.

"There is nobody here" Shane says.

"Then why are the shutters down?" Rick questions refusing to give up hope.

"WALKERS!" Daryl warns as a stray walker clad in a military uniform wanders close, heading towards the group. Daryl doesn't hesitate to shoot an arrow in the walker's head bringing it down.

"You messed up!" Daryl shouts to Rick.

"He made a call" Shane defends.

"It was the wrong damn call" Daryl continues shouting angrily heading towards Rick.

Shane pushes Daryl back warning Daryl to "SHUT UP!". Panicking Shane tells Rick that "this is a dead-end" and suggests that they can still turn around and head for Fort Benning. But Andrea points out they're out of gas and have no food. They would never make it. The panic is spreading all over the group fearing being outside in the city, without a safe place to be, in the dark.

"We need a plan" Lori demands amidst the chaos and Rick insists they'll figure something out.

Just as Rick admits defeat and turns to follow the group back to the cars he notices the security camera moving. "The camera it moved" Rick says raising his voice with his gaze fixed upon the security camera above the entrance.

"You imagined it" Dale says firm but feels hope deep down in his heart.

"It moved, I know it moved" Rick says.

"What are we gonna do?" Matt asks feeling like he is pushed in two different directions.

Shane believing that he is right to get away from the CDC and head towards Fort Benning try to convince Rick to come to the cars. Rick slams his fists against the metal shutters screaming "If you don't let us in, you're killing us!" doing his last effort to bring the doors open.

Lori is screaming that there is nobody there at Rick and people are starting to cry as he continues to scream. Shane drags him away and just as the group is about to leave the shutters open to the CDC drowning the survivors in light.

* * *

******A/N:** Please give a review! :) Like comments/ideas/grammar error etc. Just review :) NO BETA! :(

My OC is based on Brant Daugherty (from the PLL and more) to give you an idea. Also, if you notice any grammar or spelling mistakes please let me know I don't have a BETA. Thank you. Looking for a Beta reader that could help with character development and tossing around ideas.


	8. Chapter 8

******Disclaimer: **Unfortunately I do not own The Walking Dead. I only own my OC. This chapter is based on the episode "TS-19" of season 1. You might recognize events/sentences from the show.

**Best Buy Seasons**: Thanks for the reviews and liking what I write! Got any ideas for what I could write? ;) Yeah Brant is adorable and for me I like to have some sort of visual of what the character looks like. Yes of course I watched the season finale of the Walking Dead and can't wait for season 4, specially about Carl and his development.

* * *

"We walk on"  
-Chapter 8-

_Previously: ...and just as the group is about to leave the shutters open to the CDC drowning the survivors in light. _

**Now:**

The group quickly went inside the building and was met with nothing but an empty lobby with the walls and floors giving a clinical feel to the place.

"Cover the back!" Daryl gruffed out while closing the doors behind them.

Rick who went in first asked "Hello" in the empty lobby while Shane was telling everyone to be on the alert for any walkers.

"Hello" Rick asked again in a higher voice and his hello echoed in the building.

Suddenly a noise startled everyone to look at the door further at the end of the hallway. There standing with an automatic in his hands where a sandy-haired man in a T-shirt and sweat pants. He raised his large fun in his hands to show them that he wasn't afraid to use it.

"Anybody infected?" He yelled across the hallway looking at the group one at a time taking in the scared faces of the women and children.

"One of our group was, he didn't make it" Rick answered keeping his gun pointed at the man.

"Why are you here and what do you want?" The man asks.

"A chance" Rick says simply.

"That's asking an awful lot these days" the man replies slowly lowering his weapon at the same time Rick did.

"I know" was Rick's only reply.

"You all submit to a blood test. That is the price of admission" the man said in a firm voice.

"We can do that" Rick agreed.

The man looked at the group again and only saw weapons in their hands and no belongings. Making his decision to let the group in he said "You got stuff to bring in you'll do it now, 'cause once this door closes, it stays closed."

Rick, Shane, Matt, Daryl and Glenn quickly retrieved the groups belongings from all the vehicles and returned inside with T-Dog and Dale guarding the entrance. As soon as the men got inside the man swiped a card and said "Vi seal the main entrance. Kill the power up here." Making the shutters come down again.

Amy went forward to Matthew to take her two bags from him.

"You stay near me OK?" Matt more or less demanded as he handed her bags to her. Amy nodded and said a quiet thanks for the bags to him.

Rick was introducing each one of the group to the man who introduced himself as Doctor Edwin Jenner leading them to the door at the end of the hallway that was an elevator door. Once the group was inside the small elevator they started moving down.

"Doctors always go around packing heat like that?" Daryl questioned, eying the gun Jenner was holding.

"There were plenty weapons left lying around. I familiarized myself but you look harmless enough" Jenner said in manner of fact tone. Turning around he looked at Carl who was looking a little worried and said "Except you. I'll have to keep my eye on you." Carl gave him a small smile back while the rest of the elevator ride went silent.

* * *

While walking the long corridor with Jenner leading the group to the building's basement control center, Carol asked "Are we underground?"

"Are you claustrophobic?"

"A little."

"Try not to think about it." When they arrived into the control room he said "Vi bring up the lights in the big room." Making the lights go up. It was a large room filled with computer terminals that all were empty. Turning Jenner tells the group "Welcome to zone five."

Everyone was looking around taking in the fluorescent-lit room when Rick asked curiously "Where is everybody? The other doctors and the staff?"

"I'm it. It's just me here."

"What about the person you were speaking with?" Lori asked confused at the lack of people as were the rest of the group. "Vi?"

"Vi, say hello to our guests. Tell them... welcome."

"Hello guests. Welcome" said a female computerized voice.

That led to Jenner explaining that Vi was actually a voice-activated computer system.

"I'm all that's left. I'm sorry."

* * *

Jenner took the group into another room so they could have their blood taken one by one. They all sat down in a row of chairs waiting for their turn.

When there were only Andrea and Amy left to have their blood taken, Andrea agreed to be next leaving Amy to be the last in line. As Jenner is taking Andrea's blood sample she asks "What is the point of taking blood samples? If we were infected, we'd all be running a fever."

"I have already broken every rule in the book, letting you in here. Just humor me" is Jenner's answer, finishing her blood test.

As Andrea struggled to stay upright, Jenner learned how short of food they had been when Jacqui explains "She hasn't eaten in days. None of us have."

"Just let me take the last sample" Jenner said motioning towards Amy.

After Amy's blood had been taken she was also wobbling after standing up, Matt took a firm hold of her waist to keep her standing up.

* * *

Doctor Jenner having an idea led the group into the CDC cafeteria were the fully stocked fridge was. Looking at all the supplies that would last for months they decided to have a feast. Matt was looking forward to cook in a real kitchen again as were Carol and T-Dog so they started cooking up whatever they could find.

Later as the group was drinking wine and liquor that they had found and eating a meal that made them feel so full was lifting everybody's spirit up. They were laughing and joking around. After eating their meal quickly they were just relaxing. Glenn was beginning to become drunk and Daryl was grinning with his hand wrapped around a bottle of whiskey that he had for himself.

While Dale is pouring more wine he says "You know in Italy, children have a bit of wine with dinner. And in France." Lori first disagrees but lets Carl try his first sip of red wine in the end. Everyone is waiting for what Carl might think as he takes his first mouthful of wine.

"Ewww" Carl complains scrunching up his face which makes the adults laugh.

"That's my boy" Lori says proudly pouring what is left of the wine in Carl's glass to her own glass.

"That tastes nasty" Carl says.

"Well, just stick to soda pop there bud" is Shane's advice.

"Not you Glenn" Daryl says all of a sudden.

"What?" Glenn asks confused about getting attention from Daryl.

"Keep drinking, little man. I want to see how red your face can get" Daryl then says making everyone laugh again.

Rick who is the only one noticing that Jenner is quiet clinked his glass and stands up. "It seems to me we haven't thanked our host properly."

"He is more than just our host"

"Hear, hear!"

"Here's to you doc. Booyah!" Daryl yelled making the rest of the group to also say "Booyah".

"So when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here doc?" Shane asks not in the mood to celebrate and wanting to know what happened to the rest of the doctors.

Doctor Jenner then explains most of the people left to be with their families when the outbreak started. "When things got worse and the military cordon was overrun, they bolted. Those that couldn't face walking out the door... opted out." The whole jovial mood quickly became somber.

"There was a lot of suicides. That was a bad time." Jenner states.

"You didn't leave, why?" Andrea questions.

"I just kept working, hoping to do some good."

"Shane you are such a buzz kill man" Glenn says stating the obvious, breaking the silence that had fallen around the table.

Quickly changing the subject Jenner offers to show the group around the building. While walking down the corridor Amy takes Matt hand in her shocking him a little with the gesture. Not really being a hand holding guy in his own opinion makes him feel awkward. But her hand does feel good and soft so he squeezes her hand and holds on tight.

"The couches in these rooms are comfortable but there are cots in the storage area, if you'd prefer. The kids might enjoy the games and puzzles in the rec room but I ask that you not turn on any of the video games so that we can preserve electricity." Jenner explains.

He gestures left and right. "You can shower in here but I do ask that you do so quickly to save as much hot water as possible."

"Hot water?" Glenn asks incredulously.

"That's what the man said" T-Dog says with a large grin.

"Can you believe it, HOT water" Amy half whispered in Matt's ear standing on her tip toes to reach. She then almost bunched forward to reach her room first so she could take a shower. She didn't release her hold on Matt so she more or less dragged Matt with her, who was seeing a new side of her.

"Are you taking me to shower with you?" Matt asked cheekily as Amy reached the door.

"Huh?" Amy turned towards Matt and after realizing that she hadn't let go of his hand began to blush. "Eh..."

Seeing that she literary didn't know what to say, Matt smiled and slide one hand around her lower back as the other moved up, smoothing over her cheek. "Sorry was just teasing a little." Matt pulled Amy closer with the hand on her back and slowly moved his head down towards her. Amy not wanting to wait any longer placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed herself up meeting his lips.

Her lips were soft and compliant in Matt's opinion and after he darted his tongue across her lips, requesting entrance, he slipped his tongue into her mouth when she opened trustingly for him. Feeling the need for air they broke apart.

"Matt" Amy gasped in shock of how good that felt and not really knowing what to say.

"Amy" Matt replied smiling at her. "Well I guess I see you tomorrow. We better get a move on if we want to get a warm shower. Night Ames" Matt said moving his hands away from her but left a lingering kiss on her lips before he turned to walk to his own room.

* * *

Being in his own room at the CDC, Matt felt relaxation run over him. As he took his clothes of to take his first chance to shower after days of running from a near death, he leaned his head on the shower wall as the hot water pattered on his head.

Things like shampoo, soap and even brushing his teeth with a new tube of toothpaste felt wonderful. Being clean and smelling fresh made him feel like a new person. Looking in the mirror as he brushed his teeth, he saw that he had a beard beginning to grow. "_Well I never stopped shaving in weeks before either" _Matt thought. _"Guess I can shave in the morning instead."_He thought and went to bed , savoring the feel of the mattress and feeling his head buzz from a mix of alcohol and from his kiss with Amy.

* * *

The next morning Matt went to the cafeteria after having being woken up by Carol saying that breakfast was ready. Having settled at the table clutching his cup of coffee and eating eggs helped with his small hangover. Lori handed out aspirin to those that needed and poor Glenn had his head on the table groaning, "Don't ever, ever, ever let me drink again" was all Glenn said before moaning more in pain.

When Doctor Jenner at last entered the cafeteria Dale started asking questions with Andrea agreeing saying "We didn't come here for the eggs.". After breakfast Jenner lead the group back into the big control room with the empty computer terminals, there at the big screen he displayed the brain scans from "Test Subject 19". The video was of someone who was infected and showed the different stages of the brain trough being dead and being back alive.

From what Matt could diffuse from what Jenner said the virus attacks the brain and that after the brain goes dark, the body dies. After that the virus restarts a part of the brain, the brain-stem, that gets them up and moving.

"The resurrection times vary wildly. We had reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we heard of was eight hours. In the case of this patient it was two hours, one minute, seven seconds." Jenner explained.

"But they're not alive?" Rick asks.

"You tell me," Jenner said pointing to the brain.

"It's nothing like before. Most of that brain is dark."

"Dark, lifeless, dead. The frontal lobe, the neocortex, the human part doesn't come back. The you part. Just a shell. Driven by mindless instinct." Jenner said in a manner of fact tone.

The last of the video playback is a bullet that flies through TS-19's head before Jenner admits that he doesn't know what the disease is or how to treat it. With no way to communicate with the other research facilities he have been in the dark for almost a month.

"Everything's gone." Andrea says defeated. "There's nothing left, almost everyone is dead?"

"There's nothing left anywhere?" Jacqui asks. "Maybe the virus is the wrath of God" she muses out-loud.

The look on Jenner's face tells the group that Andrea is right in her accusations, that Jenner believes that there is no hope left out in the world.

"I'm gonna get shit faced drunk... again." Daryl says.

Dale interrupts the stunned silence to ask Jenner about the clock on the far wall, which is counting down from an hour.

"The basement generators, they run out of fuel." is all Jenner says before walking away.

"Vi, what happens when the power runs out?" Matt asks looking up.

Vi explains "When the power runs out, plant-wide decontamination will occur."

* * *

While Rick, T-Dog, Shane and Glenn went to check the generators to find answers not understanding what a "plant-wide decontamination" really meant. Matt found himself in his room just lying down on the bed thinking. In reality he wanted to drink down his sorrows like Daryl but he wasn't that found of alcohol. _"Guess finding a cure was a long shot anyways."_ Matt thought sighing. It wasn't like he thought that if they found a cure the world would go back to what it once was but he wanted to have hope. Without any hope what was he suppose to do in a world like this.

Then the lights went out and the air conditioning stopped. Opening his door to the hall everyone else also was wondering what was happening.

"What's going on?" Daryl asked noticing Jenner coming down the hallway.

"Energy use is being prioritized."

"Air isn't a priority? And lights?" Dale questioned as the group followed Jenner.

"It's not up to me. Zone 5 is shutting itself down."

"What exactly does that mean?" Matt asked feeling confused and getting irritated at Jenner's answers.

"Hey man, what do ya mean it's shutting itself down?" Daryl asked angrily. "How can a building do anything?"

"You'd be surprised." Came Jenner's helpful answer yet again thought Matt sarcastically.

"Rick!" Lori called when Rick, Shane, T-Dog and Glenn returned from the basement.

"Jenner what's happening?" Rick asked demanding answers.

"The system is dropping all the nonessential uses of power. It's designed to keep the computers running to the last possible second. That started as we approached the half-hour mark. Right on schedule." Jenner said pointing to the clock as they entered the big room.

"It was the French," he said randomly.

"What?" Amy asked.

Turns out the French thought they were close to a solution. They held out the longest before they too ran out of power Jenner says but Shane feeling angrily about Jenner changing the subject approaches him ready to strike.

"To hell with it Shane! I don't even care. Lori grab our things. Everybody' get your stuff. We're getting out of here now!" Rick ordered.

Everyone ran to grab their stuff when an alarm started blaring, "30 minutes until decontamination" Vi's computerized voice said.

"Doc, what's going on here?" Daryl questioned over the alarm when Jenner sounded the alarm quiet.

"Everybody y'all heard me! Get your stuff and let's go! Go now! Go!"

Turning everybody ran to get to their rooms when the door slid closed.

"Did you just lock us in?" Glenn asked Jenner. "He just locked us in!".

The kids ran to their mothers hugging them and Daryl went to approach Jenner when T-Dog and Shane had to pull him off.

"Jenner open that door now" Rick demanded.

"There's no point. Everything topside is locked down. The emergency exits are sealed."

"It's better this way" Jenner says when Rick demands that he open the door.

"What happens in 28 minutes?" Matt asked, referring to when the clock gets to zero. Not getting an answer from Jenner, Rick steps up yelling "What happens?" demanding to get an honest answer.

"You know what this place is? We protected the public from very nasty stuff! Ebola strains that could wipe out half the country! Stuff you don't want getting out... Ever!" Jenner yells out. Sitting down again he explains "In the event of a catastrophic power failure, in a terrorist attack, for example H.I.T.'s are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out."

"H.I.T.s?" Rick questioned.

Turns out that H.I.T.s (high-impulse thermometric) is a highly dangerous explosive that would set the air on fire and would decimate the building and everything inside.

Hearing that everyone in the group starts to panic.

"It sets the air on fire. No pain. An end to sorrow, grief, regret." Jenner says.

Turning Matt sees Amy starting to tear up, not exactly comfortable with hanging around people crying, he hesitantly wraps his arms around her trying to comfort her. "It'll be alright, Ames, you'll see." He kept rubbing her back and whispering soothing words, and gradually he felt her relax against him.

"Open the damn door!" Daryl yelled.

Shane and Daryl took each one axe trying to do damage to the door but it didn't even make a dent, which Shane informed Rick.

"Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher." Jenner told the group.

"Well ya head ain't!" Daryl said charging the man with his axe.

"Whoa! Whoa! Daryl, Daryl, Daryl! Back up!" As Rick, T-Dog and Matt throw Daryl off Jenner.

"You do want this. Last night you said you knew it was just a matter of time before everybody you loved was dead." Jenner said looking at Rick.

"What? What? You really said that? After all your big talk?" Shane said.

"We all have our doubts" Matt said trusting Rick leadership.

"I had to keep hope alive, didn't I?" Rick questioned.

"There is no hope. There never was" Jenner says defeated.

"There's always hope, maybe not here but somebody, somewhere" Rick says wanting to believe.

"This isn't right," Carol cried out. "You can't just keep us here."

"One tiny moment, a millisecond. No pain."Jenner says totally unaffected.

"My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this." Carol says holding Sophia tighter in her arms.

"Wouldn't it be kinder, more compassionate to just hold your loved ones and wait for the clock to run down?"

Shane feeling it was time for actions points his shotgun in Jenner's defeated, unaffected face.

"Shane, no!" Rick yelled at him.

"Out of the way, Rick!" Shane then looked at Jenner "Open that door or I'm gonna blow your head off. Do you hear me?!" Shane threatened the man with wide crazy eyes.

"Brother, brother, this is not the way. You do this we will never get out of here," Rick attempted to calm him down. "He dies, we all die" Rick stated.

"Shane ya listen to him" Lori yelled.

Shane turned and shot at the computers acting crazy. Rick grabbed the gun from his hands and knocked him to the floor. "You done now? Are you done?" Rick asks Shane.

"Yeah, I guess we all are" Shane answers angrily back.

"Why did you stay if ya didn't think there was hope?" Rick demands to know of Jenner.

Jenner then tells them that he made a promise to his dying wife that happened to be TS-19. She was a brilliant scientist and if anyone could have done something it was her. "I'm just Edwin Jenner, I'm not her. She was an Einstein." he admits.

Rick and Lori tell Jenner that they just want their chance to keep going as long as they can. Swayed Jenner walks over and opened the doors for them but says "I told you topside's locked down. I can't open those."

"We've got four minutes left, come on!" Glenn shouts.

Panicked the group rushes to the open door. As the group heads for the exit Jacqui stops telling the group "I'm not ending like Jim. I don't want to die like that, to be a walker.". She tearfully tells them "It's no point to argue, not if you want to get out. Get out, get out!"

"Come on" Matt tells Amy putting his hand in the small of her back and gently guided her towards their rooms. He didn't want her to try and stop Jacqui knowing time was short. Running they quickly grab their bags from their rooms and Matt felt thankful that he hadn't even packed up but did make a quick grab to take some new toiletries. Hurrying down the hallway, meeting everyone back before running up the stairs to the main entrance.

"Where's Andrea?" Amy questioned out-loud.

"She'll be here" Matt says firmly wanting to get them out of the building.

"Dale is talking to her" Carol says.

"Get them doors open!" Glenn yells pounding on the windows helplessly.

Matt tries the control pad and Daryl and Shane tried to break the windows with the axes but it didn't work. T-Dog tried bashing the window with a chair but nothing.

"Dog get down, get down!" Shane called as he shot at the glass with his shotgun but the glass didn't even have a dent.

"The glass won't break?" Sophia asked.

"Rick, I have something that might help," Carol said digging through her bag.

"Carol, I don't think a nail file's gonna do it," Shane cracks sarcastically.

"Your first morning at camp, when I washed your uniform? I found this in your pocket," Carol said before she pulled out a hand grenade.

"Look out" Rick warns the group.

Matt pulled Amy down and covered her when everyone took cover while Rick went to the window with the grenade detonating it, blasting out one of the windows. Everyone went out the window, running to the cars, shooting at walkers as they go.

Matt and Amy went inside the RV with Glenn, Lori, Carl and Rick. Before Rick could start the RV up, Lori yelled "Wait, look, they're coming" and pointed towards the CDC. It's Dale and Andrea emerging from the building.

"Andrea!" Amy yells trying to run out of the RV but Matt grabbed her not letting her go. Rick is honking the horn and Lori yells out the window to Dale and Andrea to get down. Ducking down in the RV they feel a blast of heat, then a deafening boom as the CDC erupts in a fiery explosion. Looking up they see that Dale and Andrea had taken cover behind a military blockade.

"Come on, get in, get in, get in!" Glenn desperately beckons them to the RV. Inside Amy grabs Andrea hugging her not wanting to let go. "WHAT where you thinking?" She says in Andrea's ear.

Shaken Rick starts the engine and leads the caravan away from the rubble of what used to be the CDC.

* * *

******A/N:** Please give a review! :)

My OC is based on Brant Daugherty (from the PLL and more) to give you an idea. Also, if you notice any grammar or spelling mistakes please let me know I don't have a BETA. Thank you. Looking for a Beta reader that could help with character development and tossing around ideas.


	9. Chapter 9

******Disclaimer: **Unfortunately I do not own The Walking Dead. I only own my OC. This chapter is based on the episode "What Lies Ahead" of season 2. You might recognize events/sentences from the show.

* * *

"We walk on"  
-Chapter 9-

Everyone is still shaken after narrowly escaping from the CDC and after a group discussion they decide to give Shane's idea of finding refuge at the army base at Fort Benning a try. Staying in the city was no opinion as Atlanta is in the hands of the walkers.

Before the group starts their journey to Fort Benning they abandon some of the vehicles, leaving the RV, Carol's Cherokee and the two motorcycles and start to siphon gas. The motorcycles take less gas than cars and can position more easily next to abandoned cars to siphon gas from.

Daryl and Matthew are driving their motorcycles first to scout ahead and Rick, Lori, Carl, Carol and Sophia are in Carol's Cherokee and the rest of the group is in the RV.

* * *

While on the highway the convoy comes upon a traffic snarl with hundreds of vehicles, abandoned or littered with corpses, impending their route. To save fuel they decide to continue on the highway instead of taking an other road a few miles back. Daryl leads the way through a snaked out path among the other vehicles while Matt stays behind the caravan.

Suddenly a "hiss" is heard from the RV, turns out the RV's radiator hose is breaking down again forcing the group to stop.

"If you can't find a radiator hose here..." Shane points out to Dale and the group surveys the potential supplies they could gather from the abandoned cars along the highway.

"We could siphon more fuel from these cars for a start" T-Dog suggests.

"Maybe some water?" Carol asks in her soft-spoken voice.

"This is a graveyard," Lori spoke up. "I don't know if I'm comfortable with this."

The group froze in place for a moment and digested her comment. Silently they agree that supplies are most important and Shane announces, "Gather what you can y'all."

While the rest of the group began wandering among the stranded vehicles searching for anything of use Dale enlists Glenn and Matt with fixing the radiator hose. Leaving the guys to change the hose Dale takes watch atop of the RV with Rick taking watch with a rifle behind the RV.

"Guess we should search for a new hose than" Matt says after watching Glenn screwing apart the old hose. Glenn agrees taking the old one with them as they searches with Shane. After finding a truck with a perfect fit to the old hose, Shane finds a delivery van next to the truck with several canisters of fresh water still inside.

* * *

Suddenly Shane grabs Glenn and whisper-yells at both Glenn and Matt to "Get down!". Shane and Glenn hides beneath a truck with Matt hiding beneath the car next to the truck.

Once the huge group of walkers disappeared they rolled out from under the cars. Gathering around each other they found out that walkers chased Sophia into the forest and Rick ran off after her. Glenn, Shane and Daryl heads out into the forest to track them down while Matt gave Amy a slight hug.

"You OK?" Matt asks concerned seeing some blood on her shirt.

"Yeah...I was in the RV with Andrea. We hid in the bathroom and one walker did find us but Andrea saved us. She killed it."

He wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her close, placing a kiss on the top of her head while waiting with the rest of the group to see anyone coming back from the woods.

Dale took care of the cut T-Dog had accidentally gotten from some jagged metal while ducking for cover that was bleeding a lot. He did his best with what they had.

Soon Glenn and Shane returned with no more news about Sophia then that Daryl and Rick was tracking her.

The group started moving cars so that they had a clean path so that they could turn the RV around and double back to the bypass Glenn flagged on the map now that they have fuel to get around the traffic snarl. The group also are searching through the cars for more supplies.

The sun was setting when Rick and Daryl finally made their way back.

"You didn't find anything?" Carol said with tears in her eyes.

Rick explains her trail went cold and as Carol objects to Sophia spending the night alone in the woods Daryl steps forward.

"Hunting in the dark's no good," he tells her and Rick promises to pick up the search and make an organized effort at first light. Carol spots the walker's blood on Daryl's pants, and as she panics they admit they gutted it to make sure it wasn't near Sophia.

Carol angrily accuses Rick of leaving her daughter in the woods. Rick tries to explain that he'd tucked Sophia away in a hollow log and had given her instructions for making her way back to the road while he lured the walkers away from her.

"How could you leave her?" Carol asks broking down into sobs, while some of the others tried to explain how Rick had done his best to save Sophia's life but Carol was inconsolable. "You didn't find her," Carol said with tears in her eyes.

Carol can't look at Rick and he walks away, the group quiet amid the confrontation.

* * *

The next morning Rick arms the group with the collection of knives that Carl found in one of the cars.

"Everyone takes a weapon." Rick says.

"These aren't the kind of weapons we need. What about the guns?" Andrea questions.

"We've been over that. Daryl, Matt, Rick and I are carrying. We can't have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles" Shane stated.

"It's not the trees I'm worried about" Andrea continued.

"Say somebody fires at the wrong moment, a herd happens to be passing by. Then it's game over for all of us. So you need to get over it" Shane informed her.

Everyone was picking what they wanted their weapon to be. Daryl started discussing the plan as he was the only one that knows how to track and that made him in charge of the search.

"The idea is to take the creek up about five miles, turn around and come back down the other side. Chances are she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark. Stay quiet and stay sharp."

"Keep space between you but always stay within sight of each other" Rick added.

"Everybody assemble your packs," Shane ordered.

"Dale, keep on those repairs. We've got to get this RV ready to move," Rick told him.

"We won't stay here a minute longer than we have to. Good luck out there. Bring Sophia back."

After some discussing Lori and Rick lets Carl come along to help with the search. Andrea then starts demanding her gun back from Dale but are dismissed by the group out of fear that she'll use it to kill herself. She walks off to the wood to get away from Dale but Amy is close behind telling Dale that she will look after Andrea for a change.

The group leaves Dale and T-Dog at the RV and head out to search the forest for Sophia.

* * *

The group comes upon a campsite but after Daryl checked the tent but comes out saying "Ain't Sophia.".

"What's in there?" Amy asked curiously.

"Some guy. Did what Jenner said, opted out, Ain't that what he called it?"

Suddenly church bells started ringing and the group is overjoyed because they hope that Sophia is setting them off.

"She could be ringing them herself. Come on," Rick stated.

"What direction?" Shane asked.

"I think that way. I'm pretty sure" Rick answered.

"Damn it's hard to tell out here" Shane pointed out.

"If we heard them, maybe Sophia did too" Carol said hoping that was the case.

"Someone's ringing those bells, maybe calling others" Glenn said.

"Or signaling that they found her" Andrea pointed out.

They run towards the noise and find a small church but Shane insists it's the wrong one because it doesn't have a steeple and no bells. They head inside anyway with Rick, Shane and Daryl killing the walkers inside but still no trace of Sophia. Shane continues insisting it's the wrong church when the bells ring again. They run outside and find the automated bell toll around the side of the building.

"A timer. It's on a timer" Matt concluded.

Glenn unhooks the sound in frustration as Carol announces she's going back inside the church for a while. Leaving Amy with Andrea in the shade outside Matt joins Carol and the rest of the group inside. They stood in the back of the church hearing Carol pray. Lori soon came inside the church and started comforting her.

With daylight fading everyone gathered under a tree outside while Shane and Rick talked. Rick isn't ready to give up the search for Sophia and reluctantly Shane agrees to stay behind.

"Y'all gonna follow the creek bed back, okay? Daryl, you're in charge. Me and Rick, we're just gonna hang back search this area another hour or so just to be thorough." Shane says walking over to the group.

"You're splitting us up. You sure?" Daryl asks.

"Yea, we'll catch up to you. We'll be fine."

Carl insists on staying with them. "I'm her friend" he says and Lori agrees to let him stay with his dad.

"Just be careful, okay?" Lori says to her son.

"I will."

"When did you start growing up?" she questions while hugging him goodbye.

Rick tries to give Lori his gun but she won't let him so Daryl hands her the gun he grabbed off the guy in the tent that afternoon. "Really?" Andrea mumbles as she starts heading back into the woods.

After trekking through the woods on their way back to the highway Carol stops to sit on a log and expresses frustration that their search turned up no new leads on Sophia.

"So this is it. This is the whole plan?"

"I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups," Daryl answered expressing that he too didn't like that the group had been further split up.

"You got enough water in you?" Amy questioned Matt. She had a full water bottle in her hand, lifting it up for Matt to take.

"Guess I can get more in me." He says while taking the water bottle and before he can gulp down the water she says "Remember to take just a couple of sips and do it continentally instead of gulping it down as I have sometimes seen you do."

"Oookay... but why?"

"It's better to keep you from being hydrated and if you gulp it down most of the water will just go straight through."

"Huh... Haven't thought about it before but guess I can change that at least, thanks" Matt says while taking a couple sips of the water and watching Andrea bitch about how Lori got a gun when she's been denied one for two days.

Lori hands it to her without a second thought. "Why, you want it? Here take it. I'm sick of the looks you're all givin' me." Andrea takes the gun while Lori starts to angrily tell them to stop blaming Rick for what had happened to Sophia.

"When Sophia ran he didn't hesitate, did he? Not for a second. I don't know that any of us would have gone after her the way he did or made the hard decisions that he had to make or that anybody could have done it any differently. Anybody?" She asks looking around and when no one answers she continues.

"Y'all look to him and then you blame him when he's not perfect. If you think you can do this without him, go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you" Lori finishes.

All Matt can think is _"Ohh snap". _

Feeling guilty Andrea hands back the gun to Lori. "We should keep going" Andrea says and the group continues back to the highway.

* * *

******A/N:** Please give a review! :) And thanks to everyone that is reading this story!

My OC is based on Brant Daugherty (from the PLL and more) to give you an idea.


	10. Chapter 10

******Disclaimer: **Unfortunately I do not own The Walking Dead. I only own my OC. This chapter is based on the episode "Bloodletting" of season 2. You might recognize events/sentences from the show.

* * *

"We walk on"  
-Chapter 10-

On their way towards the highway while looking for Sophia the group heard a gunshot in the woods but Lori was concerned and stopped.

"Why one? Why just one gunshot?" She wondered.

"Maybe they took down a walker" Daryl suggested wanting to calm the situation down.

"Please don't patronize me. You know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker or Shane. They'd do it quietly." Lori says knowing they wouldn't waste a bullet.

"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol asks.

"There's nothing we can do about it anyway. Can't run around these woods chasing echoes."

"So what do we do?" Amy asks looking at Daryl.

"Same as we've been. Beat the bush for Sophia and work our way back to the highway."

"I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV. I'm sorry for what you're going through." Andrea says offering support to Carol over Sophia's disappearance.

Carol admits that she just keep thinking she doesn't want her daughter to end up like a walker and "It's the not knowin' that's killin' me" she sobs.

"We're all hoping and praying with you, for what it's worth." Amy says looking sympathetic at Carol.

Then Daryl steps in. "It's a waste of time, all this hopin' and prayin'. 'Cause we're gonna find that little girl, she's gonna be just fine. Am I the only one Zen around here? Good lord."

The group laughed quietly and continued walking behind Daryl back to the highway.

* * *

Some time later Daryl stops the group by deciding: "We'll lose the light before long. I think we should call it."

"Let's head back" Lori agreed.

"We'll pick it up again tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we'll find her tomorrow" Lori reassured Carol.

Daryl whistled to make everyone start walking behind him.

* * *

"How much farther?" Amy asked Daryl after they had walked for a while.

"Not much. Maybe a hundred yards as the crow flies."

"Too bad we're not crows" Andrea muttered.

"I'm with you on that one" Amy agreed being exhausted walking in the heat but keeping up behind Daryl for fear of taking a wrong turn.

Andrea then walked into a spider web and after she got the spider web of her, she angrily said to herself, "As the crow fly my ass.".

She didn't see one walker coming up from behind her attacking her. The walker has her pinned to the ground as she screams alerting the group that rushes back to help her.

Suddenly a horse gallops out of the bush and a woman hit the walker in the head with a baseball bat, knocking the walker off Andrea saving her.

"Lori, Lori Grimes?" The woman on the horse asks while looking at Andrea.

"I'm Lori."

"Rick sent me. You've got to come now."

"What?"

"There's been an accident. Carl's been shot. He's still alive but you've got to come now! Rick needs you, just come." The women says and tells Lori to get on the horse.

When Lori is moving to get on the horse Daryl try to slow her down.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. We don't know this girl. You can't get on that horse."

But as stunned as Lori are, she isn't taking any chances so she jumps up on the back of the horse.

"Rick said you had others on the highway, that big traffic snarl?" The woman asks.

"Uh-huh" Glenn says dumbfounded as he only has eyes on the woman/girl on the horse.

"Backtrack to Fairburn Road. Two miles down is our farm, you'll see the mailbox. The name is Greene." She says giving directions and then just left with Lori as the rest of the group were stunned about what just happened.

Then the walker sat up from the ground moaning. "Shut up!" Daryl said while shooting it in the head with a bolt. Amy then ran towards her sister making sure she was alright.

* * *

It wasn't long before they where back at the highway. Stepping over the guard rail and meeting Dale who heard Andrea's screams in the forest but she won't speak to him. She just pushed past him silently heading towards the RV with Amy following close behind. When informing him about the Carl being shot he are shocked.

"Shot? What do you mean shot?"

"I don't know Dale, I wasn't there. All I know is this chick rode out of nowhere like Zorro on a horse and took Lori" Glenn informed.

"You let her?"

"Climb down out of my ass, man" was Daryl's reply. "Rick sent her. She knew Lori's name and Carl's."

"She gave us directions to her farm, it's not far from here." Glenn said to Matt while they were walking towards a car and sitting down to rest.

"Guess we have to go there" Matt stated.

"Should we? We haven't found Sophia yet." Glenn asks concerned.

"We'll that is what group discussions are for." Matt winked. "Sooo something _else_ on your mind?"

"Like what?" Glenn asks confused.

"You were staring pretty hard at the girl on the horse, you know? And saying she was like Zorro is really big words coming from you, that I'll know already."

"Ehh."

"Come on now give me some good news" Matt says while elbowing Glenn's side a little.

"Well she is pretty" Glenn says giving in, "but pretty girls don't go for geeks like me OK?"

"Ya never know okay" Matt stated not wanting Glenn to be depressing.

"Guys" Dale says coming near them. "We're going to talk about the farm now near the RV." while making his way toward the other members of the group.

* * *

"I won't do it. We can't just leave." Carol says with tears in her eyes later at the group discussion.

"Carol, the group is split. We're scattered and weak." Dale explains.

"What if she comes back and we're not here? It could happen."

"If Sophia found her way back and we were gone, that would be awful," Andrea stated.

"Okay" Daryl agreed. "We got to plan for this. I say tomorrow morning is soon enough to pull up stakes. Give us a chance to rig a big sign, leave her some supplies. I'll hold here tonight, stay with the RV."

"If the RV is staying I am too." Dale pointed out.

"Thank you. Thank you both" Carol said.

"I'm in" Andrea said.

¨Me too" Amy said not wanting to leave her sister and hoping to talk to her more.

"Well, if you're all staying then I'm" Glenn started but Dale cut him off.

"Not you Glenn. You're going. Take Carol's Cherokee."

"Me? Why is it always me?" Glenn questioned.

"You have to find this farm, reconnect with our people and see what's going on. But most important, you have to get T-Dog there. This is not an option, that cut has gone from bad to worse. He has a very serious blood infection. Get him to that farm. See if they have any antibiotics. Because if not, T-Dog will die, no joke." Dale explained.

"You're not going alone, I'll back you and T up." Matt said feeling they would be too many to stay the night on the highway.

Daryl went over to Merle's bike and pulled out a bag of pills. "Keep your oily rags off my brother's motorcycle. Why'd you wait till now to say anything? Got my brother's stash. Crystal, X. Don't need that. Got some kick ass painkillers. Doxycycline. Not the generic stuff either its first class. Merle got the clap on occasion." He shrugged and walked away after handing the pills needed to Dale.

While T-Dog got into the passenger seat of Carol's Jeep Cherokee and Glenn packing some bags that they were going to take with them, Amy approached Matt near his motorcycle.

"Ya sure you're not staying?"

"Someone needs to keep an eye on Glenn" Matt half-joked. "We keep each others backs, don't worry. 'Sides getting too crowded in the RV." He winked at her. "Take care of yourself out here and keep your knife close as always OK?"

"Yeah I know you do keep saying it over and over."

"'Cause it's important Ames."

"I know."

"I better get going" Matt says as he sees Glenn opening the driver side door of the Cherokee. Matt quickly grabs the back of Amy's neck, pull her close and kiss her. After needing air they broke apart and without saying anything Matt sits down on his motorcycle and starts the engine. Matt lets Glenn take the lead for now and they drive their way to the farm.

* * *

******A/N:** Please give a review! :) And thanks to everyone that is reading this story!

My OC is based on Brant Daugherty (from the PLL and more) to give you an idea.


	11. Chapter 11

******Disclaimer: **Unfortunately I do not own The Walking Dead. I only own my OC. This chapter is based on the episode "Save the Last One" of season 2. You might recognize events/sentences from the show.

**A/N: **I want to give a BIG thank you to: **zer0123,** **revamchist131, dianaemrys15. FanfictionFan85 **and **Biolegend712 **for following my story!

Also a BIG thank you to: **dianaemrys15, Deadzepplin, Biolegend712 **and **Best Buy Seasons **for having this story as a favorite!

* * *

"We walk on"  
-Chapter 11-

The ride to Greene's farm went without trouble and it was late by the time they arrived. Walking towards the house Glenn asks, "So do we ring the bell? I mean it looks like people live here."

"We know people live here Glenn," Matt says while he understands that they hadn't needed to knock on anyone's front door in months.

"We're past this kind of stuff, aren't we? Having to be considerate." T-Dog says.

"Close the gate up the road when you drove in?" Asks a female voice from a darkened corner on the porch. It's the same woman who rode the horse in the forest.

"Uh... hi. Yes we closed it. Did the latch and everything." Glenn answered nervously and couldn't stop himself from continuing speaking. "Hello, nice to see you again. We met before briefly."

Matt couldn't stop shaking his head while smiling at Glenn, never having seen him like that.

"Look, we came here to help. Anything we can do?" Matt asks.

"It's not a bite. I cut myself pretty bad though," T-Dog explains to the woman when he sees her looking at his wound.

She nods her head and invites them inside. "We'll have it looked at. I'll tell them you're here."

"We have some painkillers and antibiotics," Glenn told her.

Following her inside the house, she brought them to a room where Carl was in a bed sweating and Rick and Lori sitting near.

"Hi" Glenn said in a nice quiet voice while Matt, T-Dog and Rick nodded to each other.

"Um we're here okay?" Glenn continued, showing that they were there for them.

"Whatever you need," T-Dog said.

"Thank you," Lori said feeling grateful and the guys left the family in the room.

"Come on I'll make you something to eat and Patricia can look at you wound," the woman from before said while looking at T-Dog.

"Thanks," Glenn said almost staring at her.

"I'm Mathew and this is Glenn and T-Dog," Matt said introducing them.

"I'm Maggie Greene and the man who is inside the boy Carl's room is my father Hershel."

* * *

Having been introduced to everyone at the farm and having time to eat there wasn't much to do. All of them were waiting for Otis and Shane to arrive. Patricia, Otis wife, was busy stitching up T-Dog's arm as she had been a nurse before she retired.

Glenn had gone outside to sit on the front porch while Matt stood in the kitchen trying to leave everyone alone.

"Hey," came a timid voice. Turning around Matt could see that the younger Greene girl, Beth stood before him.

"Hello."

"It isn't much happening right now but you're happy to use our shower and clean up. Dad said so." She explains while giving him a clean soft towel.

"Thanks, I would really appreciate it." Matt says while smiling big at the girl.

"Come on I'll show you were to go."

* * *

Later while Lori and Rick had to make a decision about Carl, they all heard a truck that pulled in. Turns out that Shane had come through but that Otis was dead, having had gone for supplies that were needed to save Carl's life.

* * *

******A/N:** Please give a review! :) And thanks to everyone that is reading this story! Know that this wasn't a really interesting chapter and kind of short.

My OC is based on Brant Daugherty (from the PLL and more) to give you an idea.

Check out my new story _"Change directions"._

I will try to update and have a new chapter of both stories as often as I can...if I have the inspiration! I'm trying to find a Beta... anyone interested for this fic? **PM** me if you have the time and effort!


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